The Babysitters
by pumpkaboo
Summary: Clint and Natasha are having the day off to finally spend time with each other without the kids (Wanda and Victor (Vision) have totally got this under control) and unintentionally catch up with their friends Steve and Bucky.


The second Clint and Natasha got in the car they basically screamed with joy. Natasha was so excited to finally have a day where she could spend the time with Clint without the kids nagging. Don't get her wrong, she loved her babies with all her heart, but having a break, even if it was just a day, was everything she could have hoped for. Also the fact that the upcoming Tuesday was their anniversary, but Clint would be at work, and she would be home with their youngest while the other two would be at school.

Clint looked at her. "All I can say is... we should totally check into a hotel."

She sighed. "We don't really have all day, that is the problem. We have to be back by five."

"But we could get-"

"So much sleeping done" they said in unison.

He nodded. "Exactly."

She nodded. "I know, I know. But we really need to do something amazing since we are both lucky to have Wanda and Victor babysit."

"So true."

"Wanda is going to regret ever saying she wanted children and Victor is going to feel totally blessed by her discovery" Natasha predicated. "Now let's get out of here before they give up."

Clint laughed. "Good idea."

It didn't take them long to get to their destination, a cute little cafe that was nestled between a fancier restaurant and a bookstore.

"Hey, that's the restaurant Bucky got food poisoning at" Clint said.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Steve was telling me last weekend" he said, reversing the car into the park at the front of the cafe.

"Perfect parking" she grinned.

"Thank you m'lady."

She rolled her eyes. "I married such a dork."

"But I'm your dork" he said, attempting his best puppy dog eyes.

She kissed his forehead. "I know." She opened the door and stepped out of the car and walked up to the cafe, Clint holding her hand. "Such a great day to go out" she smiled.

He smiled back. "It really is."

They stepped into the cafe and saw Steve and Bucky sitting in one of the booths.

Clint and Natasha looked at each other.

"Can we please sneak up on them and scare them?"

Clint looked at her weirdly. "You really do spend way too much time with the kids. Let's do this."

They walked so softly, so carefully.

Natasha pointed to Clint, then Steve, and then to herself and Bucky.

Clint nodded and walked up behind Steve and grabbed his shoulders, as Natasha grabbed Bucky, who let out an undignified squeak and choked on his own spit, coughing loudly.

"Abort?" Clint whispered.

Natasha shook her head. "They'll be fine."

Steve and Bucky looked around at the couple.

"What was that?" Bucky asked. "What the hell?"

Steve just shook his head at Clint looking very disappointed.

Natasha politely ignored their disgruntled glares. "Can we join you guys?"

Bucky shook his head. "No."

"Yeah, sure" Steve said at the same time.

Bucky groaned. "No."

"Heard you got food poisoning" Natasha said, sitting across from Bucky.

"Why did you guys both sit on the same side? So weird" said Clint.

"We wanted to hold hands under the table" Steve joked.

Bucky ignored Natasha question.

"And yes, Bucky was really sick" Steve answered for him. "Wasn't fun at all. I really hate cleaning vomit."

"Oh yes, please forget all the times I ever cleaned up after you when you were sick as a kid" Bucky said. "And even now" he muttered under his breath.

Steve squeezed Bucky's hand. "Sorry."

Natasha sighed. "Try having three sick kids at once."

Bucky cringed. "I am so glad we don't have kids."

"Wait... who is babysitting for you?" Steve asked, as if he just realized that there wasn't three kids at the table. That also depended on your viewpoint, perhaps there actually was.

"Just be glad it wasn't us."

Natasha looked at Steve. "Wanda and Victor."

"Well, that will teach Wanda a very valuable lesson" Bucky said.

Steve gave him a disapproving look. "Don't be like that. Their kids are nice."

"For you they are" Clint said.

"Wait, when did you babysit them?" Bucky asked Steve.

"I did some art with them a little while back. Natasha was there."

Bucky nodded. "Okay."

"He came to help out when Clint was away" Natasha smiled.

"Have you guys ordered?" Clint asked.

"We only just came in maybe a few minutes before you two decided that awful scare tactic."

"You should have heard you scream Bucky."

Bucky glared at Clint.

Clint looked down. "Sorry."

"Do they really have to join us?" Bucky whispered.

"I can't hear you."

Bucky sighed. "Forget it."

"You know your whispering isn't actually whispering" Natasha said, looking at Bucky.

"That was just rude" Clint agreed.

Steve looked at Bucky. "What did you say?"

"He doesn't want us here" Natasha sighed.

"Buck, you gotta be nicer to them. I mean, they don't have their kids with them."

"Why are you so..?" Natasha shrugged.

"Bucky isn't working at the moment so he is in a sour mood."

"What happened to your job?"

"He still has his job, he hurt his back-"

"Ooh, what were you two doing?" Clint asked, a big grin on his face.

"They don't do it" Natasha cut in.

Steve blushed bright red.

Clint chuckled. "I think you're wrong Tasha."

"Anyway, he has to take some time off work until its better" Steve finished.

Clint nodded understandingly. "Wow, that really sucks."

Bucky shrugged. "Well, Steve has been teaching again, so it makes a huge difference."

"Oh, you got permanent work?" Natasha asked.

"Oh, it's only a six month contract. Two days a week."

"Better than nothing" Clint smiled.

"Agreed."

Bucky held Steve's hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "So proud of you."

"Thank you" Steve blushed.

"You two are too cute" Natasha said. A kid somewhere in the cafe started crying. Natasha cringed, looking around. "Wh-?"

Clint looked around, then his hand rested on her shoulder and she looked at him.

"It ain't ours" he grinned like a madman.

"They aren't with us" Natasha chuckled.

They fist-bumped.

Bucky shook his head. "We are never having kids."

"Okay" Steve replied.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, having kids is incredible" said Clint.

Natasha nodded in agreement. "It's very rewarding."

Bucky raised a brow. "Wow, really? Cause you make it seem like you're spending your life in hell."

"Well, Bucky, good for you that you will never have kids and know that they bring a lot of joy as well."

"I am a man. I'm not maternal."

"Neither was I" Natasha admitted. "I never felt it until I gave birth. I think Clint was more excited than me."

Steve nodded, remembering when she was pregnant with her first child. "You really didn't want to be pregnant at that time."

"I had an amazing job, together we had a great income, a nice house..." she smiled at Clint. "But we are so happy. I never thought having kids would bring us closer like it has."

Bucky, who was listening, and respected his friends' stories, was also hungry. He was hungry before Clint and Natasha decided to come in and obnoxiously scare them. He signalled for the waitress, sick of waiting any longer.

"I'm not ready to order" Clint groaned.

"Start reading."

"Bucky, you're so rude today."

"He is just really hungry" Steve explained. "He gets really ornery when he is hungry."

Natasha sighed. She opened her menu and glanced through it. "What do you think Clint?"

"BLT."

"Mm... Yeah."

Bucky and Steve had ordered, and the waitress was now looking at them. Thank god she wasn't giving a rude, impatient glare. Though she probably should. Instead she was smiling and politely. Looked pretty legitimate.

Clint ordered, and ordered for Natasha, because he was romantic like that.

"Finally, we are closer to eating" Bucky said, leaning back in his seat.

Steve smiled at him. "You could try and be a little nicer."

"Steve, I haven't eaten since last night."

"You fasting?" Clint asked.

"We're here for brunch" said Steve.

"Oh... sorry for holding you guys up then" said Natasha.

Bucky shrugged.

So, what else has Bucky angry today? No work, no food-"

"No sex" Steve said rather frankly.

"Told you" said Clint.

Natasha nodded. "Because of the bad back?"

Steve nodded. "He has a back brace at the moment."

"How bad is this back problem?"

"Bad enough."

"The physiotherapist gave me the brace."

"She specifically said no sex" Steve chuckled.

Bucky rolled his eyes.

"So, I probably shouldn't have scared you?" Natasha asked cautiously.

He shrugged. "Didn't hurt my back."

"Just your ego" Clint chuckled.

Natasha laughed along with him.

Bucky groaned.

Steve rubbed his upper back. "You're okay."

Bucky shook his head. "Why?"

Steve frowned. "Why what?"

"Why did they have to come to the same café that we were going to?"

"Hey, don't be like that. How about we go to dinner too?"

"We don't really have the money Steve."

Steve shrugged. "It's up to you."

"What's your occasion?"

Bucky looked across at them. "How did you know?"

"You kind of hinted at it."

"Well, its Bucky's birthday."

"Awesome, happy birthday Bucky" Clint grinned.

Bucky put on a very forced smile. "Thanks Clint."

"How old are you today?"

"Too old."

Steve shook his head. "He is thirty."

"We're both older than that" Clint mumbled.

"Natasha nodded. When you get to Clint's age, then you can say you're old."

"Wow, thanks babe."

Natasha smiled. "Welcome."

...

Wanda sighed. She looked at Victor. "Far out... we are never having kids."

He chuckled. "I can agree with that." He looked at the time. "We still have up to six hours though."

"I can't believe I thought I would be any good at this."

Victor held her hand. "You're doing wonderfully."

She smiled and looked over at the kids, the two older ones eating morning tea and the youngest asleep on her lap, leaning against her chest. "I hope so."

"We make a good childminding team."

She smiled at him. "You're right. I don't know if I could do this without you."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Likewise. But I am happy to agree with your previous statement. Let's not rush into things."

"I think I'm enjoying this child free life."

"You are still young. We don't have to rush into anything."

She smiled. "I love you."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you too."

…

Natasha could see the relief on Bucky's face when Steve said that they should head off. She had never seen anyone who looked as grateful as Bucky at that time.

"Enjoy the rest of your birthday" she smiled as the two of them stood up.

"Thanks Nat" he smiled, awfully forced, but at least he sounded more polite than he had earlier in the day.

She leaned against Clint as they walked away. "We should go away for our anniversary" she smiled, kissing his cheek. "Even if it's only for a night."

He chuckled. "Don't get too excited. I don't know if we can get anyone to babysit overnight."

She smiled. "I am sure Wanda and Victor will rethink their 'let's maybe have children, let's babysit to see how we feel' stance."

Clint laughed. "Well, we can only hope. I would love to go away for the night."

"Or maybe we should go on a family holiday. Definitely not romantic but…" she shrugged.

"Well, we still have time to think about it."

She hummed in agreement. "Yeah, we sure do."

…

"I really didn't think it would be so hard to get them to eat" Wanda sighed, feeling like giving up but not because she literally couldn't leave two kids under ten and a toddler alone.

Victor nodded. "Well, let me say I am stumped. Natasha said the kids loved pizza, but they haven't touched a single slice. Do you think they are just being difficult?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. I will ask."

He nodded sitting on the play mat with the youngest as Wanda walked over to the older two. "If you guys don't want pizza, what would you like?" she asked curiously.

"We do like pizza, I just don't understand why mom and dad went out for the day."

She was surprised, but understanding. She sat on the small chair that was at the table. "Are you wondering why they didn't take you?" she asked.

Her questioned was affirmed by two head nods.

"Well, it's not that they don't want to spend time with you, they just wanted to go out by themselves so that they could spend some time together."

"But why?"

"Because just like you enjoy spending time with them, they enjoy spending a little bit of time together too. Maybe you should think of today as being like school. But without learning anything."

Victor chuckled. "And I thought I wasn't good at speaking to kids."

She sighed. "Well, you can't say I didn't try."

Victor looked past her, brows raised.

Wanda looked back at the children to see them eating. She felt a little proud of herself, although she knew that there was a twenty percent chance, or perhaps less, of it being anything to do with her terrible speech.

"You did well" Victor affirmed.

She smiled. "Thank you. I really don't know though."

He chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about it. At least they are eating."

"True. I can't complain."

…

"Today went way too fast" Natasha sighed, watching the houses go by as they made their way back to their small property.

"Well, let's hope that we can go out again like this sometime."

She nodded. "Fingers crossed."

"We could ask Bucky and Steve" he joked.

She chuckled. "Please?"

He laughed. "I think Bucky would rather injure his back again than take care of kids, but…" he shrugged. "Never know." He turned the SUV into the driveway. "We should have tried to fit another hour in, huh?" he joked.

She ginned. "Next time."

"Yeah?" he asked, turning the engine off.

"Of course" she kissed his cheek before stepping out of the vehicle.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

She watched as their two oldest kids ran as fast as bullets towards the two of them.

"Brace yourself" Clint joked, standing next to her.

Natasha ginned. "I have" she said, catching their daughter. She kissed her forehead. "How was your day beautiful girl?" she smiled.

"I love Wanda and Victor. Can they babysit us again?"

Natasha looked at Clint who ginned back. He nodded and pulled their daughter in for a hug.

Wanda and Victor made their way over, toddler in Wanda's arms. Natasha took her from Wanda.

"Thank you so much for today" Clint said, pulling his wallet out and paying them the previously decided amount.

Natasha smiled at them. "What are you two doing in April on the seventeenth and eighteenth?" she asked.

Wanda looked at Victor, a smile on her face. He smiled back, nodding. "Babysitting for you" she smiled.

Natasha held up her hand and high-fived Clint. "Let's book this holiday."


End file.
